MARCH 13TH. 1947 FLIGHT
NENE
INSTALLATION
1
Details of Rolls-Royce Gas Turbine Power Units in a Lancastrian
LMOST every authority on jet propulsion seem9
to have found time during the last year to
deliver a lecture on gas turbines or their appli-
cations. Each one discussed the high-speed
high-altitude requirement for economy, and
while some foresaw the operation of jet passenger services
within a year or two, others more guardedly spoke of five
or more years.
One important fact now emerges, namely, that most of
the more optimistic speakers are modifying their ideas and
that as we slowly learn more of high-speed flight at 30,000ft
and above, the problems appear more complex rather
than less. It is disappointing that there is so little apparent
progress in this or other countries in the design of large high-
speed high-altitude airliners of the class we had expected
to see in service by 1950. Many major problems have yet
to be solved, and in the case of the jet airliner there is no
accumulation of experience with military counterparts on
which to draw.
Looking for a moment on the brighter side, the following
facts stand out: small pure-jet military aircraft are provid-
ing valuable information on the operation of gas-turbinepower units. They are also providing designers with prac-
tical information on wing design. In addition, engine manufacturers have been able to increase the reliability of turbo
jets and to improve to some extent the power and con-sumption figures. Finally, some progress has been made
with cabin pressurization and air conditioning.
With the present limited knowledge of weather at highaltitudes, and the lack of experience with cabin condition-
ing, passenger safety and comfort are now competing withpurely technical difficulties as number one headache.
First Jet Transport
One important practical step taken some months ago
towards the collection of operational data and experience
with pure jets was the installation of two Rolls-Royce Nenes
in the outboard positions on an Avro Lancastrian. Al-
though the installation was made purely to flight-test the
Nenes, the fact that the Lancastrian flies comfortably on
jet power alone with its inboard Merlins feathered, that all
essential accessories are duplicated on the Nenes, and that
•
A Nene Is installed In the starboard outer position on a Lancastrian. The lower half of the plenum
chamber, the nose fairings and the detachable skin panels of the nacelle have yet to be added.